Food & Beverage Table Service – Guidelines for Lodges

An exceptional guest experience at any lodge, resort or restaurant comes from its team, food, ambience, ethos and service. Of that, I would rank its team, ethos and service the top most. Ethos can be build by nurturing the team, and infusing the right belief system. Team can be build by creating a phenomenal work culture, appraisals, allowances and leaves.  And for Service, especially dining service, proper training and guidelines are mandatory. With these thoughts, here’s sharing some important thumb rule to be followed by waiters and butlers for a great showmanship.

• Always greet the guests and present the menu from their left-hand side 
• Stand to the left side of the guests to take orders
• Ladies should always be served first; the oldest lady on the table to be served first
• Host should be served at the last
• While serving wine, the label of the wine bottle should face the guest
• Slightly twist the wrist when pouring to avoid any drips or spills
• Pick the silverware by the neck and not the handle
• Forks – Left side of plate, the salad fork on the outside, and the dinner fork on the inside.
• Knives & Soup spoons – Right side of plate with the exception of butter knife which is on the left
• Dessert Spoons – Top of the plate with the handle to the right
• Water goblet or glass – Tip of the knife
• The wine glass should be placed to the right of the water glass
• Bread and Butter plate on Left side
• The butter knife goes on top of the bread plate with the blade facing down and the handle towards the right
• Water is served from the Right side of guest
• Pre-plated food – served from Right
• Beverages – served from Right
• Food from serving dishes/bowls – served from Left
• Cup and saucer always go on the right when served with the meal else on the Center of Table mat
• Soiled plates are removed from Right side
• Pick the plates by the rim or edge of the plate
• The right cutlery must be REPLACED for each course
• Clear the dinner and bread plate before serving dessert
• Pull the dessert cutlery down and serve the dessert from Right side